Canadian poetry is poetry written in Canada, by Canadians. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page There are three distinct branches of Canadian poetry: French-Canadian poetry (mostly written by Québécois authors), First Nations poetry and English-Canadian poetry. A Québécois or Quebecois (pronounced) or in the feminine Québécoise (pronounced) (plural Québécoises) is a native or resident of the First Nations is a term of Ethnicity that refers to the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis people
Contents |
English-Canadian Poetry
Beginnings
The earliest works of poetry, mainly written by visitors, described the new territories in optimistic terms, mainly targeted at a European audience. One of the first works was Robert Hayman's Quodlibets, composed in Newfoundland and published in 1628. Robert Hayman ( 14 August 1575 &ndash November 1629 was a poet colonist and Proprietary Governor of Bristol's Hope Colony in Newfoundland — ˈn(jufənˌlænd (Terre-Neuve Talamh an Éisc — is a large island 15 km off the east coast of
With the growth of English language communities near the end of the 18th century, poetry aimed at local readers began to appear in local newspapers. These writings were mainly intended to reflect the prevailing cultural values of the time and were modeled after English poetry of the same period. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland
In the first half of the 19th century, poetic works began to reflect local subjects. Acadia by Joseph Howe and The Saint Lawrence and the Saguenay by Charles Sangster are examples of this trend. Joseph Howe, PC ( December 13, 1804 – June 1, 1873) was a Nova Scotia journalist politician and public servant Charles Sangster ( 16 July 1822 &ndash 9 December 1893) was a Canadian poet who is considered one of "the best of the pre-confederation Early nationalistic verses were composed by writers including Thomas D'Arcy McGee. Thomas D'Arcy McGee, PC, ( April 13, 1825 &ndash April 7, 1868) was a Canadian journalist, Father of Confederation Many "regional" poets also espoused the British political and aesthetic jingoism of the period. For example, High Tory loyalist & occasional poet Thomas H. Higginson of Vankleek Hill, Ontario, produced paeons to Sir Francis Bond Head (Wm. Sir Francis Bond Head 1st Baronet KCH PC ( 1 January 1793 &ndash 20 July 1875) known as "Galloping Head" was Lyon Mackenzie's opponent) and the British war effort in the Crimea (such as Sonnet to Florence Nightingale and others), while producing some interesting nature verse exemplifying the all-pervasive influence of Wordsworth's view of nature and the sublime. The Crimean War, also known in Russia as the Eastern War (Восточная война Vostochnaya Vojna) (March 1854–February 1856 was fought Florence Nightingale, OM, RRC (in her own pronunciation ˈflɒɾəns ˈnaɪtɪŋgeɪl 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910 who came to be known as "The
Confederation
A group of poets now known as the "Confederation Poets" began writing following the formation of the new Dominion of Canada in 1867, including Charles G. D. Roberts, Archibald Lampman, Bliss Carman and Duncan Campbell Scott. The title Confederation Poets was given to a group of Canadian poets who created a distinctive Canadian poetic style after the Confederation of Canada in 1867. Sir Charles George Douglas Roberts KCMG, FRSC, BA ( January 10 1860 &ndash November 26 1943) was a Canadian Archibald Lampman FRSC ( 17 November 1861 &ndash 10 February 1899) was a Canadian poet. Bliss Carman FRSC ( April 15 1861 - June 8, 1929) was a preeminent Canadian Poet. Duncan Campbell Scott ( August 2 1862 - December 19 1947) was a Canadian poet and prose writer Choosing the world of nature as their inspiration, their work was drawn from their own experiences and, at its best, written in their own tones.
Early 20th Century
During this period, E. Pauline Johnson and Robert W. Service were writing popular poetry - Johnson's based on her English and Mohawk heritage and Service writing tales of the Yukon gold rush. Emily Pauline Johnson (Tekahionwake (10 March 1861 &ndash 7 March 1913 commonly known as E Robert William Service ( January 16, 1874 &ndash September 11, 1958) was a poet and writer Mohawk ( Kanienkeh, Kanienkehaka or Kanien’Kahake, meaning "People of the Flint" are an indigenous people of North America Yukon (ˈjuːkɒn is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three territories.
In 1915, John McCrae, serving as a surgeon in the Canadian Army, wrote the famous war poem "In Flanders Fields". Lieutenant Colonel John Alexander McCrae ( November 30, 1872 &ndash January 28, 1918) was a Canadian Poet " In Flanders Fields " is one of the most famous Poems written during the First World War, and has been called "the most popular poem" produced during
In Newfoundland, E.J. Pratt described the struggle to make a living on the land in poems about maritime life and the history of Canada. Edwin John Dove Pratt FRSC ( February 4, 1882 &ndash April 26, 1964) who published as E Meanwhile, in central Canada, poets such as Ralph Gustafson and Raymond Knister were moving away from traditional verse forms. Ralph Barker Gustafson ( 16 August 1909 &ndash 29 May 1995) was a Canadian Poet and Professor at Bishop's Raymond Knister ( 1899 - 1932) was a Canadian novelist short story writer poet critic and journalist who died in a swimming accident on Lake St
In the 1930s, A.J.M. Smith and F.R. Scott helped inspire the development of new poetic voices in Montreal through the McGill Fortnightly Review and the anthology New Provinces. Arthur James Marshall Smith ( November 8, 1902 – November 21, 1980) was a Canadian Poet. Francis Reginald Scott CC, commonly known as Frank Scott or F Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec The "new poetry" valued intellect over sentimentality, or as some have put it, logic over human emotions . Under the editorship (literary) of Earle Birney, the Canadian Forum helped promote similar developments in Toronto. Bushed Earle Alfred Birney OC, PhD, FRSC ( 13 May 1904 &ndash 3 September 1995) was a distinguished Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Dorothy Livesay, born in Manitoba, was an important contributor to the Toronto movement. Dorothy Kathleen May Livesay OC, OBC, MEd, DLitt, FRSC ( 12 October 1909 - 29 December 1996 Manitoba (English ˌmænɨˈtoʊbə French /manitoba/ is a province of Canada, spanning 647797 square kilometres (250116 sq mi of North America These two urban centres of literary activity provided fertile ground for the development of later poets such as Irving Layton and Raymond Souster. Irving Layton OC ( March 12, 1912 &ndash January 4, 2006) was a Canadian Poet. Raymond Holmes Souster (born 15 January 1921) is a Canadian Poet.
Post war
Following World War II, a new breed of poets appeared, writing for a well-educated audience. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including These included James Reaney, Jay Macpherson and Leonard Cohen. James Crerar Reaney ( September 1 1926 &ndash June 11 2008) was a Canadian Poet, Playwright and literary critic Jay Macpherson (born June 13 1931) is a Canadian lyric Poet and Scholar. Leonard Norman Cohen CC GOQ (born September 21, 1934 in Westmount, Quebec) is a Canadian Singer-songwriter Meanwhile, some maturing authors such as Layton, Souster, Harold Standish and Louis Dudek, moved in a different direction, adopting colloquial speech in their work. Harold Edwin Standish ( 24 September 1919 - 15 April 1972) was a Canadian Poet and Novelist, best known for Louis Dudek ( February 6, 1918 - March 23, 2001) was a Canadian Poet and literary critic and publisher of Polish origin A colloquialism is an expression not used in formal speech, writing or Paralinguistics.
In the 1960s, a renewed sense of nation helped foster new voices: Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, Leonard Cohen, Eli Mandel and Margaret Avison. Margaret Eleanor Atwood, CC (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian Writer. Philip Michael Ondaatje, OC (ɒnˈdɑːtʃiː (born 12 September 1943 is a Sri Lankan Canadian Leonard Norman Cohen CC GOQ (born September 21, 1934 in Westmount, Quebec) is a Canadian Singer-songwriter Eli Mandel ( 3 December 1922 - 3 September 1992) was a Canadian Poet and literary academic Margaret Avison OC ( April 23 1918 &ndash July 31 2007) was a Canadian poet. Others such as Al Purdy, Milton Acorn and Earle Birney, already published, produced some of their best work during this period. Alfred Wellington Purdy, OC (December 30 1918 – April 21 2000 was one of the most popular and important Canadian poets of the 20th century Milton James Rhode Acorn (March 30 1923 - August 20 1986 nicknamed The People's Poet by his peers was a Canadian Poet, writer and Playwright Bushed Earle Alfred Birney OC, PhD, FRSC ( 13 May 1904 &ndash 3 September 1995) was a distinguished
Since the 1990s, several Governor General's Award-winning poets, in particular Jan Zwicky and Tim Lilburn, have been engaged in nonfiction writing that maps the relationships between poetry and philosophy. This is a list of the Canadian Governor General's Award winners for Poetry. Jan Zwicky (born 10 May 1955) is a Canadian Philosopher, Poet, Essayist, and Violinist. Tim Lilburn (born 27 June 1950) is a Canadian poet and Essayist, and the author of six books of poems including Kill-site, To Zwicky's "Lyric Philosophy" and "Wisdom and Metaphor", as well as Lilburn's collection "Thinking and Singing", are representative works.
A younger generation of Canadian poets has been expanding the boundaries of originality: Ken Babstock, Karen Solie, Sonnet L'Abbé, George Elliott Clarke and Barry Dempster have all imprinted their unique consciousnesses onto the map of Canadian imagery. Ken Babstock is a Canadian Poet. He was born in Newfoundland and raised in the Ottawa Valley. Karen Solie (born 1966) is a Canadian Poet. Born in Moose Jaw, Solie grew up on the family farm in southwest Saskatchewan. Sonnet L'Abbé is a Canadian poet L'Abbé writes about national identity social exclusion race environmental crisis the feminine language acts the body psychology aesthetics George Elliott Clarke (born February 12 1960) is a Canadian Poet and Playwright. Barry Edward Dempster (born 17 January 1952) is a Canadian Poet and Novelist. Evie Christie's collection, Gutted, seems to evoke the 17th century metaphysical conceit, but in a modern, urban Canadian guise. Evie Christie (born 1979 is a Canadian Poet. Her works include the collection Gutted, published by ECW Press in 2005
A notable anthology of Canadian poetry is The New Oxford book of Canadian Verse, edited by Margaret Atwood (ISBN 0-19-540450-5).
Literary Prizes
Notable literary prizes for English Canadian poetry include the Governor General's Awards, the Griffin Poetry Prize, the Gerald Lampert Award, Pat Lowther Award and the Shaunt Basmajian Chapbook Award
Uniquely Canadian Forms
The Viator poem form was invented by Canadian author and poet, Robin Skelton. The Governor General's Awards are named in honour of the Governor General of Canada, and are presented in a number of fields The Griffin Poetry Prize is Canada 's most generous poetry award. The Gerald Lampert Memorial Award is made annually by the League of Canadian Poets to the best volume of poetry published by a first-time poet The Pat Lowther Memorial Award is an annual award presented by the League of Canadian Poets to the year's best book of Poetry by a Canadian woman The Shaunt Basmajian Chapbook Award, established in 1996, was an annual prize given by the Canadian Poetry Association. Robin Skelton ( October 12 1925 – August 22 1997) was a British -born Academic, Writer, Poet, and It consists of any stanzaic form in which the first line of the first stanza is the second line of the second stanza and so on until the poem ends with the line with which it began. The term, Viator comes from the Latin for traveller. An example of Skelton's form may be found in his excellent reference book, The Shapes of our Singing, and is entitled Dover Beach Revisited.
An unpublished example of the Viator is included below to illustrate how the line travels through the poem, its repetition adding weight to the process described. The repeating line is highlighted in boldface type.
Shallot Confiture
It's care in cooking slow and carefully
that turns a shallot glistening golden brown;
in salted water first you must weigh down
the scalded bulbs to meet this recipe.
Boil vinegar and sugary spices;
it's care in cooking slow and carefully
the syruped shallots, gradually,
then overnight, you'll rest the shallot slices.
Then two days more, you'll slow repeat
your patient simmering, calmly, gently;
it's care in cooking slow and carefully
that yields your shallots clear and sweet.
By fourth day, time to lift them free,
to pack them in that savoury sauce,
preserve that silky, golden gloss;
it's care in cooking slow and carefully!
Copyright by contributor, Russell Collier
French-Canadian Poetry
Early verse
The first book written in verse by a Canadian was Épîtres, Satires, Chansons, Épigrammes et Autres Pièces de vers by Michel Bibaud, published in 1830.
Mouvement littéraire
A group of French speaking poets and authors belonging to the Mouvement littéraire came to Ottawa from Quebec City when the civil service moved to Ottawa in 1870. This group included Alfred Garneau, Antoine Gerin-Lajoie, Achilles Frechette and others. Antoine Gérin-Lajoie ( August 4, 1824 in Yamachiche Quebec – August 4, 1882 in Ottawa) was a Québécois They are considered some of the most important poets and writers in 19th Century French Canada.
End of 19th century
Octave Crémazie is considered the father of French Canadian poetry. Octave Crémazie ( April 16, 1827 &ndash January 16, 1879) was a French Canadian poet. His poetry and that of his follower Louis Fréchette are romantic of form and patriotic in inspiration. Louis-Honoré Fréchette, ( November 16, 1839 &ndash May 31, 1908) was a French Canadian Poet, Politician At the same time, Pamphile Le May was writing intimist poetry about the simple farm life and Alfred Garneau wrote his feelings.
The Montreal School
L'École littéraire de Montréal is not a literary school per se but more of a group of poets that met regularly. In reaction to the earlier following of the romantic Victor Hugo, they took later schools (such as the Parnassian or symbolism) as their masters. Victor-Marie Hugo ( ( February 26, 1802 – May 22, 1885) was a French Poet, Playwright, Novelist Parnassianism (or less commonly parnasism) was a literary style characteristic of certain French poetry during the positivist period of the 19th century Symbolism was a late nineteenth-century Art movement of French and Belgian origin in poetry and other arts The most talented among them was certainly Émile Nelligan, a young poet who stopped writing at only 20 years of age due to mental illness. Émile Nelligan ( December 24, 1879 - November 18, 1941) was a Francophone poet from Quebec, Canada
The terroir
Outside Montreal, other poets, such as Nérée Beauchemin continued Pamphile Le May's depiction of the life of the habitants. Charles-Nérée Beauchemin ( February 20 1850 &ndash June 29 1931) was a Québécois poet and physician Then came the powerful Alfred Desrochers, a precursor to the "pays" school of poetry of Gaston Miron. Gaston Miron, OQ (French gastõ miˈʀõ ( January 8, 1928 &ndash December 14, 1996) was an important poet, Writer
See also
External links
- Canadian poetry archive
- Canadian Poetry Association Resource Center
- A digital history of Canadian poetry
- Poetry Resource a website for students of poetry
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic